Why Two of Aaron's Sons Died and Two Were Spared

"After the death of the two sons of Aaron" (Leviticus 16:1). All four of them were fit to die, and Moses prayed on their behalf, and his prayer accomplished half. When was this? At the time when Israel made the calf. What is written there? "And against Aaron the Lord was very angry, to destroy him" (Deuteronomy 9:20). And "destruction" means nothing other than annihilation, as it is said, "And I destroyed his fruit above" (Amos 2:9). Since Moses prayed, his prayer accomplished half: "After the death of the two sons of Aaron." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Aaron, did I not thus write in My Torah, "For every matter of trespass, for an ox, etc." (Exodus 22:8)? Do you not remember what I did concerning the ox, as it is said, "And they exchanged their glory for the likeness of an ox" (Psalms 106:20)? "For a donkey"—those Egyptians, of whom it is written, "whose flesh is the flesh of donkeys" (Ezekiel 23:20)—you made for them a calf so that they would bow down to it, as it is said, "And the mixed multitude that was in its midst" (Numbers 11:4). "For a sheep"—these are Israel, as it is said, "Israel is a scattered sheep" (Jeremiah 50:17). "For a garment (salmah)"—that one of whom it is written, "You have a cloak (simlah), be a ruler over us" (Isaiah 3:6). "For any lost thing" (Exodus 22:8), as it is written of them, "My people have been lost sheep" (Jeremiah 50:6). "Of which one says, This is it" (Exodus 22:8)—that they said, "These are your gods, O Israel" (Exodus 32:4). "The matter of them both shall come before the judges (ha-elohim)" (Exodus 22:8)—this is Moses, of whom it is written, "See, I have made you a god (elohim), etc." (Exodus 7:1), for Moses sat and judged them. "Whom the judges shall condemn shall pay double to his neighbor" (Exodus 22:8)—these are the two sons of Aaron. Rather, it was because of the sin that they did not occupy themselves with being fruitful and multiplying, and from David, peace be upon him, we have learned it. This is what is said, "Fire consumed his young men, etc." (Psalms 78:63), for they used to say: Nadab and Abihu—our father is the High Priest, our uncle is king, our mother's brother is the chief, and we are the flowers of the priesthood; marriage is unfitting for us—as it is said, "and his maidens were not given in marriage" (Psalms 78:63). And our Rabbis say that they fed their eyes on the Divine Presence (Shekhinah). They said: Thus did Moses do, who ascended to the firmament and gazed upon the Divine Presence and needed neither food nor drink; we too, since we shall gaze upon the Divine Presence, will need neither food nor drink. Nevertheless, "And they beheld God, and ate and drank" (Exodus 24:11). At that moment the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to stretch out His hand against them, but the Holy One, blessed be He, said: I will wait until the Tabernacle is made and they enter to offer, and I will execute upon them the attribute of justice, as it is said, "And they offered strange fire which He had not commanded them" (Leviticus 10:1). And why is death written of them two times? For one verse says, "And Nadab and Abihu died, etc." (Numbers 3:4), and in another place it says, "And they died" (Leviticus 10:2)—until you know that righteous ones...: